Do You Have to Be Licensed to Administer Restylane or Botox?

In Canada, only licensed medical professionals can administer Restylane, Botox or other injectable products classified as pharmaceuticals. This means that any licensed doctor or nurse can perform injections.

Properly licensed doctors (MDs and DOs) and registered nurses (RNs) and physician's assistants (PAs) under the supervision of a doctor may inject Botox or Restylane. The degree of supervision may be the real question, however.

In some spas, nurses perform these injections for clients or patients without the direct supervision of a physician in some cases. The "supervising physician: may be nothing more than a signature on a form somewhere, for which a fee is paid by the spa to the doctor. Legal--yes; appropriate--you decide for yourself!

I'm not saying a doctor necessarily has to be right there to "supervise" a trained, experienced, skilled RN injector. BUT, any patient who has injections by such a person SHOULD know who the supervising physician is, and who is responsible if there is a complaint or concern. (see the 40% who feel it is "not worth it" on this forum.)

Hi Kiss.  In California, you have to have at minimum a registered nursing (RN) license to provide these injections.  In this case, they are performed under the supervision of a physician.

In New York State Botox injections must be performed by a licensed individual, but more importantly you should be sure that the person is qualified, and experienced.  Knowledge of the anatomy and anatomical variations is important. Ordering from the correct supplier to ensure that it is FDA-approved product is crucial. Unwanted visual effects from improperly injected Botox take months to go away so it is worth seeing an experienced dermatologist, plastic, ENT facial or oculoplastic surgeon for this treatment.

You have to be a licensed medical professional to order the product. The qualifications of the individuals who can administer or inject Botox vary by state.

Dear Kissimmee

The advice of checking with your State Medical Board is excellent.  Florida has been very progressive in attempting to ensure the safety of Floridians.  However, they can't protect you when you know better but do something anyway.  So if your facialist tells you that she is now performing BOTOX and has a medical director supervising her but there is no doctor in the salon, you should know something is up.  In some cases, doctors will have their essentially unlicensed medical assistant performing injections.  While it is true that the law allows them to draw blood under medical supervision, injecting products like BOTOX and Restylane is considered the practice of medicine and not permitted.  A Registered Nurse in your doctors office can inject these products but only with the doctor on the premises and with a good faith examination by the doctor.  So again if you see a store front advertising these injections and there is only a nurse with no doctor performing these services, in most States, this practice is illegal.  Be safe out there.  Find ethical, board certified physicians and surgeons who perform these services themselves.  You deserve their undivided attention for these very expensive treatments.

Yes.  However the type of licensing requirments vary from State to State.

I would also always inquire as the experience and training of the provider.  It's always a good idea to ask to speak with other patients as well.

Is licensure necessary for administration of Botox and fillers?  In the United States, the answer is absolutely yes.  Injectables are medical treatments that, when used improperly, can cause harm: remember the unscrupulous injection of silicone into several celebrity's faces.  Each State has its own variation of which health care providers are allowed to inject.  In the State of Florida, it must be a Doctor or a Norse Practitioner/ PA under the supervision of a Doctor.  The Doctor you choose should be one of the core group of Physicians who are represented in the Injectable Safety Commission (Facial Plastic surgeons, Plastic Surgeons, Dermatologist, and Occuloplastic surgeons).

Injectable products such as dermal fillers and Botox can only be sold to licensed medical professionals such as an MD. The doctor may delegate to a licensed medical practitioner such as an RN, and the rules about this  vary from state to state. It cannot be done for example by an aesthetician. Regardless of who is doing the actual injection, it should be made clear who the supervising physician is. Remember these are not "spa" treatments but medical procedures.

Laws vary state by state regarding who is licensed to inject Botox, Dysport, Restylane, Juvederm, and other injectibles. However, not only should you find a legal and licensed injector, you really should also consider the complete background of your injector, since board-certified dermatologists and plastic surgeons are really the only physicians who are formally trained in facial anatomy and the medical care of potential side effects. Find a trained, considerate, and detailed appropriate physician to do your treatments, and you will be happiest overall.